Stranded
by xxjmm96xx
Summary: A prisoner transfer takes Sam and Andy on a plane. When things go horribly wrong, Sam and Andy have to fight to survive...and try and find the prisoner who might not even be alive. This might be hard to do when they have no clue where they even are.
1. Too Much

"This is my first time being on a plane," Andy said. She and Sam were waiting in line at one of the many shops at the airport to get some coffee.

"I never would have guessed," he replied sarcastically. He watched her as she took in the craziness of the airport with awe on her face and he smiled to himself at her joy.

Sam was amazed that she could find some pleasure out of a prisoner transfer. That was the whole reason for them taking this trip; moving some loser overseas to a new jail. But somehow, she always found the good in things.

He handed her one of the coffees, licking his hand as his own coffee dripped down his fingers. They still had plenty of time to make their flight, but they had to settle everything for the transport.

"So what did this guy do?" Andy inquired in between sips. They were heading to the prisoner hold to see this guy for the first time.

"Murder," Sam said in a hard voice and Andy nearly choked on her coffee.

"Seriously?" she coughed out. Sam raised his eyebrow in confirmation.

They both were forced to stop short as a huge crowd rose in front of them. It was filled with reporters and random people with signs proclaiming things about the prisoner should have gotten the death penalty or something like that.

"Stay close," came Sam's voice in her ear; she somehow managed to hear him over the din of the protesting crowd.

Sam wrapped an arm around Andy and started making his way through the crowd. They only had street clothes on, but their badges were clearly displayed for everyone to see. Sam knew these people didn't see the police as good guys today; they wanted justice for the murder that was committed.

The crowd seized around them immediately. Cameras flashed and recorders and microphones were shoved in their faces. Sam did his best to shield Andy from the onslaught of people, but he himself was getting bombarded.

"Man, that was nuts!" Andy exclaimed breathlessly as she disentangled herself from Sam, hoping he didn't notice her blush.

"Can you blame them though?" Sam asked, shutting the door firmly behind them, immediately blocking out the chaos. "They just want what's right for who died."

"And we have to protect that guy from those people," Andy scoffed. Why should they? Wouldn't it be nice to see him torn apart by those people?

"Because we're the cops and we have to uphold the law," Sam stated, but by his tone, Andy could tell that he would like to sic those people on the guy as much as she would.

"Come on," Sam said, jerking his head through another door that they had to enter. Once inside, a fellow officer in blue handed Andy a file and she began to flip through it while Sam and the other officer took care of business.

In the file was all about the crime that the man had committed. His name, Richard Larvmen. His victim, Stephanie Larvmen. There was a picture of each beside the names. The victim was a beautiful girl, maybe around the age of 5 or 6. She had a huge smile on her face and little ringlets of hair with a ribbon on top. Any shred of decency for this guy flew out the window the longer she stared at the picture of the little angel who was murdered by her father in the middle of the night.

He was being transferred for killing an inmate. He claimed it was self defense, but this guy seemed to have a knack for violence. Andy also saw that he was involved with the mob for a time.

"Officer McNally?"

She snapped the file closed as if she had been caught doing something wrong and turned to the officer who had been here in the beginning when she and Sam had walked in.

"This is Melissa Larvmen," he said.

Andy looked over to see a distraught middle aged woman. The mother of Stephanie Larvmen as well as husband of the accused. She had tears streaming down her face and looked like she was barely holding it together. Andy assumed she had been this way for the past few months since her little girl was taken from this world by the man she loved and trusted.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Andy said. She couldn't even imagine all the pain that was weighing Melissa down. She thought her life was bad, dealing with a cheating ex-fiancé. "My partner and I will make sure that he will never be a problem for you again," she said, laying a reassuring hand on Melissa's arm.

Melissa merely sniffled and nodded before the officer led her away again.

"McNally?" Sam called, poking his head around the corridor. "You want to help me take this guy out or what?"

"Coming," she said wearily. She was getting tired of crime and death. But this is why she became a cop; to serve and protect people from bastards like Richard Larvmen.

When Sam turned around, she saw his gun poking out of his waistband and she involuntarily reached around to put her hand on hers.

She almost wished this guy would give them trouble, so she could give him what he deserved. But then would she be anymore different than him?

"You okay?" Sam asked, turning around to look at her. He noticed a change in her attitude from before.

"It was a little girl, Sam. He took away his own daughter's life." Her voice wavered and Sam could see the brimming of tears on her lower lids.

"Come here," he said, holding open his arms and folding her inside them. It never ceased to amaze him how much Andy could care about people. She had no problem wearing her heart on her sleeve and allowing people in. Sam on the other hand…he never showed his emotions. Not even when they were staring him straight in the face; or in this case, wrapped up in his arms.

After a few moments, Andy collected herself and pushed away, wishing she could stay enveloped in Sam's embrace forever. But they had a job to do.

"Let's go," she said, firmly, pushing past Sam into the room where the prisoner was being held. Shaking his head, Sam followed.

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><p><em><strong>I was having Sam and Andy withdrawal after the latest episode; they were barely together the whole time! So, it inspired me to finally put the ideas that have been floating through my mind into words. I hope you liked the first chapter and there should be more coming soon :) <strong>_


	2. Messy Takeoff

_**Thank you for the alerts/reviews/favorites. I didn't think I would get so many for the first chapter. I'm happy to give you the second chapter so soon.**_

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><p>Andy, Sam and the prisoner were one of the first on the plane. Sam guessed the airport was trying not to worry the other passengers.<p>

The rows were seated by three and the prisoner had the window seat. Sam took the middle, meaning Andy had the outside. It was safer this way; less of a chance that the prisoner would go anywhere. Not that he could. Every time Richard shifted, the handcuffs on his hands jangled incessantly.

Andy snuck a look at Richard out of the corner of her eye. He was dark skinned and tattooed; Andy thought he was probably Latino which would explain why they were bringing him to South America. He had a permanently cold, uncaring look in his eye. He simply looked like someone who was capable of doing everything he was accused of.

Andy sighed and turned away, watching as other people loaded the plane, making their way down the aisle to their seats.

She smiled and felt a pang in her chest when a little girl, flanked by her mother walked by. The little girl had pin straight, sandy brown hair and deep blue eyes. She looked very different from the deceased Stephanie, but it was still all Andy could think of as the girl's mother ushered her past.

Sam had his head leaned back in the seat, eyes closed. But he was taking in his surroundings. He was ready for trouble. He was surprised that Richard hadn't given them trouble yet.

They sat there for a while until the plane was crowded and a voice sounded over the speakers. A flight attendant explained how to use the oxygen masks and the various other safeties of the plane.

Andy powered down her phone and stuck it in her backpack by her feet. Both Best and Sam had told her to bring one lest they get stuck in South America longer than planned.

The _fasten your seatbelts_ sign flickered on and Andy quickly buckled up, ignoring Sam's expression as he calmly fastened his.

Andy's heart picked up speed as the plane slowly lumbered down the runway. Sure it was her first time on a plane, but she also didn't like heights and she was starting to regret this. Her breath caught in her throat when the plane picked up speed.

"Not loving your first time on the plane?" Sam teased, but when he saw her face, he dropped the act. "McNally, you don't look so good."

She didn't feel so good either. Sweat dripped down her neck and she clenched her teeth together. She wasn't going to be sick, she was just nervous and it didn't make it any better when the plane started tipping up for takeoff.

"Hey," Sam said. He ignored Richard's scoffing from his other side and placed a hand on Andy's face, forcing her to look at him. "You're okay. We're fine," he reassured her. He offered his hand and she took it, crushing it so hard that he could barely feel his fingers, but he didn't pull away.

He leaned back in his seat absentmindedly rubbing small circles with the pad of his thumb on her hand. She was leaning back now too, her eyes squinted firmly shut. She looked a little better though.

Eventually, the plane righted itself and they were flying smoothly through the air.

Andy relaxed her hold on Sam's hand and smoothed down her hair, feeling much better, if not embarrassed.

"Here, chew this," Sam said, holding out a piece of gum. She took it and chewed on it, relieving the pressure of her popping ears.

"Thanks," she said when she found her voice.

"Flying's not your thing?" he asked chuckling.

"Shut up," she said, nudging his shoulder with hers. "How long until we land?" she whined, only half joking.

"Let's just say maybe you should take a nap."

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><p>A jolt made Andy jerk awake.<p>

She saw that she was lying on Sam's chest and she froze. But Sam was just staring past Richard and out the window, seemingly oblivious.

This couldn't be more from the truth. Sam was resisting the urge to pull her closer to him, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable so he held back.

Seeing she was awake, he shifted as she lifted her head off of him, rubbing a kink in her neck.

"Sorry," she mumbled, but Sam waved the apology off.

"The pilot said we were maybe two or three hours off," Sam told her as she yawned and did her best to stretch.

"That's good," she said. She was wondering what had waked her up; she _knew_ she had felt something. She looked around the rest of the plane. Some people were watching a movie that was provided. Others were reading or otherwise busying themselves. She could even see the little girl from when they first boarded the plane, a few rows down.

Nothing seemed suspicious, so she resumed facing forward. Richard was looking at her, an eerie smirk on his face as he watched her.

"You got a problem?" Sam asked, jerking Richard's arm.

"Not at all, Officer," Richard said, moving to look out the window again. But Andy could still see the smile etched on his face before he did.

Andy opened her mouth to say something to Sam; he was always insisting she was to trust her gut. And what her gut was telling her was not good. "Sam-,"

She didn't get anything more out because an explosion rocked the plane.


	3. Downward Spiral

People were screaming and the back of the plane was on fire. They were spiraling out of control and heading straight towards the endless water below.

Andy wasn't screaming; she was too much in shock. She whipped around to where the explosion had occurred; somewhere in the back of the plane. It looked like the back end of the plane had just disappeared. She watched as it plummeted to the water below, a great ball of flame.

Turning around, she also got a full view of the other people on the plane, who was just as scared. Andy's eyes locked on the little girl who was clutching a doll, screaming in her mother's arms.

Wind whipped her hair around her face and she could barely catch her breath as the plane plummeted. She watched someone get sucked out of the opening in the back of the plane.

The plane shook again as what sounded like another explosion sounded, this time seeming to come from the front of the plane.

The oxygen masks flew down and dangled, and people rushed to put them on. Sam, ignoring the 'put your own mask on first rule,' strapped Andy's mask over her face, making sure it was secure before putting his own on. Carryon's and other things flew out from the compartments overhead, hitting people and knocking them unconscious.

It was complete madness as people realized they were going to die.

"Sam!" Andy shouted over the chaos, removing her mask for a second. He was still sitting in the seat beside her, but she wanted to make sure he was okay.

He was trying to fasten his seatbelt; everyone had taken theirs off in the air and some people had already almost flown across the plane when they started heading downwards.

While Andy was turned to look at Sam, she saw Richard's unworried expression. He was somehow involved with this, she just knew it.

Something out the window caught her attention. The flames were spreading, engulfing the wing of the plane on the right side. She could feel the heat emanating from behind her and from the side of her. She couldn't look behind her, afraid of what she would see.

They were falling for what seemed like forever. Andy could hear people dying around her and she was so terrified her screams stuck in her throat. Tears streamed down her face and she thought _this is the end. This is how I'm going to die. _

But she didn't want to die; not yet, not this way.

Not without telling Sam she lo-

Sam discarded his seatbelt and looked her in the eye, keeping her from looking out the window. "Brace yourself," he called, before diving on top of her.

They hit the water with a jarring force.

Andy's lungs were shocked when she was immersed in the cold ocean water. She didn't know which way was up and she was separated from Sam.

She kicked and thrashed around in the water and was finally rewarded by breaching the surface, coughing. She gulped in lungful after lungful of sweet air, replenishing her supply.

It was oddly silent now that the plane had hit the water. She saw some people struggling around her, others were lying face down in the water, not moving. She resisted the urge to vomit and swam over to a thick piece of the plane that wasn't still flaming or sinking.

She pulled herself up, soaked and shivering and looked out into the water. She didn't see Sam anywhere and that gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Sam! Sam!" she called out, as strong as she could, but it wheezed out of her burning throat. It sent her into another coughing fit; the salt water really doing a number on her throat. "Sam!"

She kept softly saying his name as she lay her head down on the heated piece of metal and sobbed, her whole body shaking with her cries and the cold that had seemingly embedded itself deep in her bones. She had never felt so hopeless before in her life.

Something surfaced out of the water, a few feet away from her, spluttering and gasping.

Andy looked up as she recognized the familiar dark hair and the figure who was calling her name. Her heart surged as she realized he was alive.

He spotted her around the same time and he swam over to the piece of the plane she was on. She scooted over and he hoisted himself up.

She saw the look in his eyes and knew he was just as relieved to find her okay as she was of him. She threw herself into his arms and she felt his hands all over her body, as if he was making sure she was real. He kissed her forehead and finally allowed himself to breathe.

She cried into his bare chest, glad he was okay, worried about their current situation. And Sam didn't let go. He knew how close they had come to dying.

Sam gave a violent shudder, causing Andy to pull back. "What happened to your shirt?" Andy inquired.

Sam shrugged and winced. "It caught fire." He recognized the shock on Andy's face and hurried to say that he was fine, but she was already inspecting him for marks.

On his back were a few burn marks. They were just enough to be causing him extreme pain. She gently ran her hands over the bubbling skin and he groaned.

She quickly pulled back and tore off the end of her shirt, exposing her midriff. Dunking it in the water, she placed the strip on his burns.

At first, he tensed as it touched his wounds, but he soon relaxed, the water cooling it down.

Weary, Andy collapsed back onto the board, the sun warming her face and drying her down. Sam was lying on his stomach so as not to bother the burns; she chose to lie on her back, looking up at the sky.

She avoided looking at the water around her; it was filled with charred bodies, abandoned suitcases and backpacks and pieces of the plane. It was like some sick scene from the _Titanic_ only this was real.

The thoughts barely penetrated through her tired mind. She supposed she was in shock.

"What do we do now?" she slurred to Sam, who was panting beside her.

"There's not much we can do," he told her. "I guess we wait."

Andy took in his soot stained face and tired eyes. The crash had taken a toll on Sam, emotionally as well as physically. He was probably just as messed up as she was.

Andy let her head fall to the side, as if she couldn't support it anymore. She saw a doll floating in the water and she tried to place where she had seen it, but the past events had messed up her memory and all she could see was the plane going up in flames and crashing.

She closed her eyes, but it didn't help, it somehow made it worse. She'd probably have nightmares for the rest of her life.

Andy reached over and plucked the forlorn doll out of the water. Clutching it to her chest, she curled up in a ball and passed out.

* * *

><p><strong><em>I'm sorry for those of you who have a fear of plane crashes...I myself actually don't like flying much. I just wanted to try something new for a Rookie Blue story, so I hope you don't mind too much :) <em>**

**_Oh, so I'm going to be very busy for the next three or four days (field hockey, school stuff) so it might be a while before I update any of my stories, and so I am apologizing in advance. _**

**_xoxo  
>Janelle <em>**


	4. Land Ho

Sam was barely conscious when his fingertips brushed sand.

Slowly, his mind tried to make sense of this. Last he knew, they were floating in the middle of the ocean.

Groggily, he lifted his head and first checked to make sure that Andy was okay and breathing fine. She was; in fact she was still passed out.

Next, he looked up and saw he was on sand. The current had washed them up on some sort of beach it looked like. Yet there were trees farther out. An island?

He wasn't sure, but at least they were stranded in the middle of the ocean anymore. This could be their hope of going home. Where there was land, there were generally people.

Sam crawled up onto the sand on his hands and knees. He felt gross; dried salt water coated his body and the sun was beating down on him, still making him drowsy.

He fought through the haze and dragged Andy and the piece of plane onto land, ignoring the strain it was putting on his back.

Andy hardly stirred. It wasn't until Sam shook her did she wake up. "Andy," he called out to her, his throat dry and raspy. He tried not to think about how much he would love a nice cold glass of water.

Andy slowly woke up, her eyes squinting against the sun to see Sam hovering over her. She extended her legs which had cramped up from being curled in a ball for what seemed like hours.

She had forgotten she was holding the doll, but she carefully set it down on the board and took in her surroundings.

Her eyes widened as she looked at Sam, who was struggling to his feet. She pulled herself up and asked, "Where are we?"

"Beats me," Sam said, too tired to make one of his famous snarky remarks.

Andy licked her lips, tasting salt on them and swallowed. She looked around and saw they weren't the only things that had washed ashore.

The suitcases, people and debris had followed them to this place. She spotted her backpack and went to retrieve it, placing it on the sand beside the doll. She couldn't explain her attachment to it, but she recalled the terrified little girl clutching it as the plane went down.

Banishing such thoughts, she gave Sam a look and they both went up and down the shore, checking pulses, seeing if anyone else had lived.

Some of the people were badly burned; Andy found someone whose whole right side of the body was charred down to bone. And the smell was intolerable.

She lurched to the side, body convulsing as she dry heaved. It was all too much but she forced herself to keep going. She opted for breathing through her mouth instead.

She met Sam's eyes often, his gaze confirming what she knew; they probably wouldn't find anyone alive.

Andy went over to a man who had a piece of the plane actually sticking out of his body, right through his left side. The blood was crimson against his pilot uniform. She almost skipped over him, thinking there was no way that he would have been able to survive with that thing sticking out of him.

But just as she went to meet up with Sam, the pilot's hand twitched, and he let out a barely audible moan.

She immediately fell to her knees by his side, checking his pulse which was faint, but there. "Help…me…" he pleaded, trying to reach up to her, but he couldn't raise it more than a couple of inches before it flopped back on the sand.

Tossing her bangs out of her eyes, Andy located Sam, farther down the beach. "Sam!" she shouted and he jogged over to her side. "He's alive, but barely," she told him.

The pilot fluttered open his eyes, but they weren't focusing. "He's lost a lot of blood," Sam murmured. "Help me move him up into the shade," he said, jerking his chin towards the cover of the trees.

Moving him was slow going; they didn't want to push the shaft farther into his body. Sam didn't say it, but they both knew that there was no way this guy was going to survive.

They set him down gently on the cool sand, elevating his head with one of the other backpacks that had washed up on the shore. They were trying to make him comfortable, even though it probably wouldn't make a difference.

Andy plopped down next to the pilot and placed a discarded piece of soaked cloth on his head. His eyes were shut once more and his breathing was become more labored. He groaned in pain.

She and Sam distanced herself from the pilot and sat down on the sand so they could talk.

"Should we pull it out?" she whispered. She knew he would be too delirious to hear her, but she still felt the need to talk quietly.

Sam shook his head, staring out at the ocean. He could see more debris making its way to shore. "It will just torture him more."

Andy winced as the moans grew louder. They shot straight down to her core.

Sam and Andy repeated their own rescue mission as night fell. More things washed up on shore, including bodies and they kept checking for anyone else who may have lived, but they weren't so lucky.

Eventually they gave up and started collecting and going through other backpacks, looking for things that could help. They found some bottles of aspirin and some bottled water that they were going to save.

Andy dry fed some of the aspirin down the pilot's throat. She would have thought he would have died long before, but he was holding on by some thin thread, but he was miserable.

Sam had found a short sleeved black t-shirt and slipped it on in an effort to ward off the biting chill.

Andy had gathered as much wood as she could without venturing into the trees and Sam had managed to find some dry matches and nursed a fire.

They now sat, huddling around the fire, their shoulders and hips meeting. They were forced to listen as the pilot lay slowly dying a few feet away.

"Why haven't they found us yet?" Andy asked.

She turned to look at Sam, whose face was lit by the dancing flames. He was staring out at the ocean again, listening to the soft lapping of the waves and trying not to listen to the pilot.

"Sam?" she said when he didn't answer.

"I don't know," he said finally. So many things could have gone wrong, but he didn't want to occupy his time thinking about why they hadn't found them yet. It wasn't going to help.

The beach was mostly cleared; the tide had dragged the dead bodies back into the ocean and they had sunk to the bottom. She and Sam had salvaged what they could from the backpacks and suitcases and now there was nothing but soft sand.

Andy reached around and pulled her gun out of her waistband, holding it in her hands. Sam had lost his and she wasn't even sure if hers was going to work since it had gotten submerged.

Another loud moan reached them and her hands clenched around the cool metal of the gun.

"I almost want to put him out of his misery," Andy said, hoping she didn't sound heartless. She wanted to help the guy as well as her and Sam. This would haunt her forever.

Sam looked at her, but he had understanding in his eyes. "You couldn't do it," he told her.

"Neither could you," she pointed out. It was one thing killing someone who had a gun pointed at you, but it was another just to shoot a dying man.

Andy lay down on the sand, and Sam allowed her to put her head in his lap. He stroked her hair until she was finally lulled into sleep.

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><p><strong><em>So I'm glad I finally got this up. I have to find the rest of where I really want this story to go, so the chapters will take a little longer to get up. <em>**

**_The only reason I got this up today was because I just finished field hockey HELL. I am so sore and I'm just laying down typing. And because of stupid Hurricane Irene. You know I didn't get to go to the American Idol Concert last night because of the hurricane? _**

**_But I hope everyone is safe and sound, don't be going outside or anything! Hope this took your mind of the crappy weather for at least a little bit,_**

**_Reviews are always welcome :) _**


	5. How To Save A Life

_**So, I forgot about this story, but when I went to my computer I found that I had typed this chapter and started another one in advance. I decided that I want to continue with this story as well as my other Rookie Blue story that I just started. I will try and update this story as much as possible, but I have to remember the story line I wanted to begin with. It might take time, but please try to be patient.**_

_**Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**_

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><p>Andy awoke to peace and quiet; the only sound was the soft waves lapping at the shore. She sighed without opening her eyes, taking in the tranquility.<p>

Then her eyes shot open. It was quiet. The pilot must have died.

She opened her eyes and found she was lying with her back against Sam's chest, his arm slung around her.

He was still sleeping and she gently raised herself up and padded over the sand to the pilot. His eyes were wide open and staring at nothing. He had finally passed.

Andy bit her lip and reached out, closing the pilot's eyes. He would have almost looked peaceful now, except for the piece of the plane that was still sticking crudely out of his side.

She wandered back over to where Sam was lying down. The fire had burned itself out overnight, the embers a faint orange color.

Andy sat, knees hugged to her chest, her hair blowing in the light breeze a few feet away from the sleeping Sam. She watched the sun rise and despite everything that happened, she was grateful that she was alive to see another sunrise.

She was about to get up and scrounge through their salvage to find some food when a larger wave broke across the sand and she squinted as a small form was found on the beach.

She got up, curious, and as she got closer, she saw that the figure was a little girl.

She picked up speed and ran to the girl. Flipping her on to her back, Andy saw that it was the little girl from the plane, the one with the doll. Beside her was a thick wood plank, which was what she washed ashore on.

Andy checked for a pulse, fearing the worst. Tears already started pooling in her eyes.

But then she felt the faintest trace of a pulse and her tears were halted in their tracks.

Without further thought, Andy began doing compressions on the girl's tiny chest. She paused, only to breathe air into her lungs.

Sam stirred, and seeing Andy farther out on the beach, decided to go see what she was doing. He was shocked to find her trying to revive the child from the plane. He had never seen a more determined look on Andy's face.

But Andy never faltered, even after Sam had given up hope and laid a hand on her shoulder to bring her away from the kid. She just shook him off and continued what she was doing.

Finally, the girl's chest heaved and Sam supported her head as she spewed the water out of her lungs. She gasped for air, looking like a fish, but the more air she sucked in, the more it sent her into a coughing fit.

"Easy, easy," Andy soothed, taking the girl's tiny hand in hers. "You're okay. You're going to be okay."

Sam kept her head elevated so she wouldn't swallow anymore water and she got a good amount of air in.

The girl's blue eyes focused on Andy who was coaching her. Sam saw her color return to normal; her lips turning pink instead of blue.

"Where's Mommy?" were the first words out of her mouth.

Sam and Andy looked at each other uneasily, not sure what to say. "Where's Mommy?" she repeated, a pout on her lips and Sam helped her to sit up.

Andy paused, not wanting to tell this precious angel that her mother was most likely dead.

"Sweetie, what's your name?" Andy asked, brushing the kid's limp hair behind her ear.

"Gracie Lynn," she said and looked up at Andy and Sam expectantly waiting an answer to her question.

"Well, Gracie," Sam started. "Your mom is…" he trailed off, at a loss at how to break the news easy.

"Your mom is in Heaven," Andy supplied. She wasn't sure if Gracie was a Catholic or if she even believed in heaven but she thought it sounded nicer than 'she died in a plane crash.'

Gracie looked up at the sky, tilting her head all the way back, as if to see if she could locate her mom in the wide expanse of sky.

She looked over at Andy, bottom lip quivering. "Why'd she leave me?" she asked, so innocently and so full of hurt.

"Oh sweetheart," Andy said, her heart breaking for Gracie. "She didn't want to." Andy pulled Gracie into her arms as Gracie started to cry. "She didn't want to." She gently rocked her back and forth.

Andy looked over Gracie's head at Sam, her own eyes filled with tears.

Sam met her gaze, knowing this was hard on her too. Although Andy's mom didn't die, she had left when Andy was just a little younger than a teenager.

Sam crawled over to where Andy was holding Gracie to her chest and enveloped Andy in his own arms, rocking her softly as well.

Something touched Sam watching Andy interact with a child like this. He couldn't quite explain it, but it made him imagine things that weren't likely to happen…like he and Andy starting a family of their own…

They stayed that way until Gracie fell asleep.

Sam lifted her from Andy's arms and carried her back to where their makeshift camp was. He made sure to place her in the shade so she didn't get burned. Carrying her where she was so little in his arms made him extra careful. But he was already developing feelings for Gracie, though he would never admit that to Andy who had already fallen in love with her.

Andy appeared by his side as he lay her down on the sand. She was holding the doll. Not knowing why she did, but Andy was glad she had kept it. She placed the doll under Gracie's arm, returning it to its rightful owner. Hopefully that would ease the loss of her mother, though she didn't think that was possible.

Andy joined Sam by the bags they had collected. He handed her a warm bottle of water as he rooted around for something for them to eat. He found a bag of complimentary peanuts and they shared, munching on them quietly immersed in their own thoughts.

"Andy?"

"Hmm?" She crunched a nut between her teeth, pulling herself out of thoughts about Gracie.

"Do you remember finding the prisoner's body?" he asked, crumpling the now empty bag of nuts.

Andy's eyes knitted together as she tried to locate Richard's body on the beach. But now that she thought about it… "No, I don't think so," she said finally. "Why did you?"

"No."

The finality in his voice made her look up at him.

"Then he might not be dead," Andy said, feeling the need to state the obvious. She immediately looked over at Gracie. "He could be alive, on this island Sam. What if he tries to hurt Gracie?"

Sam needed to calm her down before she went into full fledged panic mode. "Breathe, Andy," he said, waiting until she took several deep breaths before continuing. "It's possible that we just missed his body or it didn't wash up on shore. Or even if he is alive, he wouldn't be in any shape to come after us. Even if he did, I could take him, plus we have a gun," he pointed out, ever the voice of reason.

Andy didn't answer, but Sam did make some good arguments.

"You know, this might not be an island," Sam said thoughtfully. "On the other side of these tree's may be civilization," he said, and managed a weak smile. "We've got to find him, Andy," he said, suddenly solemn.

"I know," she confirmed. "If he's alive, that is."

"Problem is, if we move from the beach and go for the trees, if a rescue team comes, they won't see us," Sam said.

She gave him a weird look. "What were you a boy scout or something? Lighting fires and now being oh so knowledgeable about rescue planes."

Sam flashed her a famous dimpled smirk. "Something like that," he said.

Sam contemplated what the right choice was. As if reading each other's minds, they both looked over at Gracie. It wasn't only their lives they had to worry about now. They needed to do what was best for Gracie, too.

Sam hung his head, trying to make the best decision for all of them.


	6. Into The Woods

_**I had to change the rating for the story from T to M because of this chapter. I didn't plan to put this in there when I originally started this story, but I have decided that this is where I wanted the story to go. Hope you enjoy anyway.**_

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><p>"An adventure?" Gracie asked, half excited, half dubious.<p>

"Something like that," Andy said, tightening the coat around Gracie's shoulders. She cast a glance over her shoulder where Sam was cramming all he could into two backpacks so they could go trek through the woods.

The plan was to wait until dark just in case a rescue plane happened by. Then they were going to make their way through the woods, looking both for Richard and for an escape. That was what was keeping Sam hopeful; even if they wasted their time looking for Richard, they might be able to find civilization.

Gracie grabbed up her doll and raised her arms so Andy would pick her up. Andy hoisted her up, supporting her on her hip and she went over to Sam.

"Almost ready?" she asked.

Sam looked up from where he was crouched on his haunches. Moonlight shone on her hair and she just looked so beautiful in that moment that Sam was momentarily caught off guard.

He stared at her until she asked, "What are you staring at?" but she had a lilt of laughter in it.

He cleared his throat and shook his head. He stood up, handing Andy a backpack. He realized that she wouldn't be able to keep up with both Gracie and the pack.

"Want me to take her?" he asked, still embarrassed that he had been caught staring at her.

"Is it alright if Sam holds you Gracie?" Andy asked her.

Gracie's little fists tightened on Andy's shirt momentarily before she let go, holding out her arms and calling, "Sammy!"

Andy couldn't help a giggle and even Sam's face softened as he gently lifted Gracie into his arms. She was so light. "Ready to go bud?" Sam asked her.

She nodded, her ponytail bouncing as she kicked her feet.

The three of them started their trek through the woods.

They had no clue of how thick and long these woods were until they had started walking through them. Halfway through, Gracie had started nodding off, her cheek resting on Sam's shoulder. His arms made a protective cocoon around her. He tried not to jostle her as much for fear of waking her, but it was easier said than done as he tried to avoid tripping over protruding tree roots.

It was hot and he and Andy were sweating buckets as they made their way across the seemingly never ending expanse of trees.

Sam found it hard to believe that there was nothing on the other side of these woods, but they just had to reach civilization and then they would be all set. They had to find Richard as well. Sam was not having an escaped prisoner on his hands, especially one who killed little girls.

_Allegedly, _Sam had to remind himself. It was true; they weren't positive he had killed his daughter, but it was looking like it was. And even though he was technically 'innocent until proven guilty,' Sam still saw him as some low life loser. And that wasn't going to change.

Sam looked over at Andy, who was keeping up with him quite easily, even with the cumbersome two packs. She had been trained well, plus he knew her dad had been taking her on yearly camping trips since she was little during the summer.

Andy took a swig from one water bottle and when she was finished she tossed it over to Sam, who shifted Gracie's weight in order to catch it. He drank from it gratefully, even though it was as warm as the rest of him. He made sure to save some for when Gracie woke up.

He briefly wondered where these fatherly feelings for Gracie were coming from. He never would have pegged him for the father type. But he couldn't explain the attachment that was growing between him and Gracie.

Although they were making great distances, the trees still surrounded them from all sides. And there seemed to be no sign of them thinning out. Sam had a feeling, deep down in his gut, that Richard was hiding somewhere in these woods. He didn't want to freak Andy out, but he wanted to find him, though the probability of that wasn't very likely.

Gracie woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes and crying for water. Andy held the bottle as Gracie took long sips from it. After that, she felt a lot better and even decided to walk for a little while, squirming until Sam put her down. She clutched her doll to her with one arm and the other she reached out to hold Andy's hand. Sam offered to take one of the packs from her and she grudgingly allowed it.

Before they knew it, darkness fell around them. They had covered a great distance, but now they appeared to be even more in the middle of nowhere.

The darker it got, the harder it became to see. They all kept tripping on tree branches and big plants. They stumbled and kept grabbing on to each other for support, until Sam finally decided they should stop and make some sort of semblance of camp.

They found a base of a huge, thick tree that was mostly hollowed out and they climbed inside as a sort of shelter.

From all the walking she had done, Gracie soon passed out, lying on top of her doll as a makeshift pillow.

Once they were sure Gracie was sleeping soundly, Sam motioned for Andy to follow him outside their little alcove. They went far enough away so Gracie couldn't hear or see them if she happened to wake up, but they could still watch the opening to make sure she was okay.

Andy herself was exhausted from all of the day's events, but she was curious as to what Sam had to say.

Both of their emotions were running high with everything that happened, and they were both happy and lucky to be alive. But they weren't out of the woods yet, no pun intended. They were now fighting for not only their lives, but Gracie's as well. And a lot more innocent people who could be being tormented by the prisoner they lost.

So when Sam leaned in and kissed her, she wasn't surprised to find herself kissing him back.

"I've wanted to do that for a long time," Sam breathed, inches away from her face.

Not being able to help herself, Andy snaked her hand behind his neck, pulling him to her again. The kiss was fervent and passionate, full of all their messed up emotions and those that they were holding back working at 15th division.

Sam tripped over some unseen tree root and they both tumbled to the ground, barely breaking contact with their lips. They continued kissing, Sam hovering over her.

His hands roamed under her shirt and not too soon after that they were under her bra. She gasped, her nipples going hard under his fingers. He yanked her shirt and tank top down so he could run his tongue over them and lightly nibbled at them, causing her to arch her back and dig her nails into his.

The weight if his body on top of hers made her go crazy with yearning and her hands strayed down to undo his belt buckle.

He pulled back in surprise, but he saw the hunger in her eyes and he was sure she saw the hunger in his and he deepened the kiss and assisted by sliding her jeans down her body.

"Oh, Sam..." she moaned into his mouth just before he thrust himself into her body. He moved in and out, slowly at first, and then as their passion grew, faster and faster. He shoved his tongue into her mouth to prevent her from screaming and waking up Gracie.

When they were finished, they were both sweating and panting for breath. They stumbled their way over to their little shelter and went inside; checking to make sure Gracie was okay.

Then they curled up in each other's arms and fell into a deep, much needed sleep.


	7. Heat Stroke

**Finally, a much needed update. I'm very sorry for leaving you all hanging for quite a while, but I am back and ready to finish the story. Hope you enjoy.**

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><p>Some time had passed as Sam, Andy and Gracie trekked through the forest. It wasn't long before they lost track of exactly how many days, but it was probably close to a week. Still, there had been no sign of rescue, but they still kept listening for any rescue planes flying by above the cover of trees.<p>

The trees provided enough shade, but the sun was very strong at certain points of the day and all three of them had gotten severe burns from sun exposure that would take some time to heal.

They had managed to make their scant food last, but eventually Sam and Andy had to take turns trying to catch and cook some small animals they had seen roving the forest floor. Surprisingly, Andy had more luck in this field, and she teased Sam about it constantly. They hadn't come across any forms of water though, besides the heavy rain that fell only twice since they had been there. Thankfully, they had the many water bottles and they sat them out to catch water one night.

They were dirty and grimy and Andy couldn't help daydreaming about a hot shower. Or at this point, even a stream where they could wash off. They probably stank to high heaven.

"I spy, with my little eye, something….green!" Andy exclaimed with a false note of enthusiasm. Gracie was clutching on to Andy's hand. Sometimes it was tough for Gracie to keep up with Sam and Andy, but she always tried her best. Although, lately, it seemed as if she was more lethargic than usual. Andy figured that it was because, like herself, Gracie was giving up hope of ever getting off this island. So she had resorted to playing silly games from her own childhood in hope of distracting her.

Sam looked on, a smile on his face as he hacked away some thick branches of leaves to clear the way. He loved listening to Andy interact with Gracie. Sometimes, he caught himself just looking at Andy, remembering their intimate encounter. Sadly, there hadn't been another one, but they had grown closer, sometimes holding hands as they walked through the brush. They needed to save their energy for getting out of this place.

Sam noticed that Andy and Gracie were a ways behind him and he stopped and turned around, waiting for them to catch up. It was then that something caught his eye to the side of him.

It had rained a couple of nights ago, easily turning the dirt into mud, which had then hardened into a thick kind of paste. It was perfect for preserving the tracks of animals, which was good when they needed to hunt. But the print Sam now saw in the mud was not like any animal he had ever seen. In fact, it looked…almost human.

Sam was just bending down to get a closer look, when Andy was by his side. He felt, before he saw that something was wrong. Instantly, he forgot about what he thought he saw on the ground and straightened up.

"Andy, what is it?" he asked, full of concern. It was then that he noticed a limp Gracie, in her arms.

"Sam, I don't know what happened." Andy's face had gone pale, despite the red sunburn on her cheeks. She couldn't take her eyes off Gracie. "One second she was fine, but then she just kind of passed out." She brushed Gracie's hair back from her face and looked up at Sam in a panic.

Sam didn't know much about kids, but his heart clenched at the thought of something being wrong with Gracie. But he was trained at being calm in situations such as these and he instantly took control.

"Here, bring her in the shade," he instructed, directing Andy to the thick base of a large tree. They laid her down on the ground, a backpack as a pillow. No sooner than they laid her on the ground, her eyes began to flutter open, weakly. "Andy? Sammy?" Her voice was weak, but she reached out to them both.

Sam crouched down beside Gracie, stroking her hair to comfort her. "You're okay sweetheart." He looked over at Andy, who was standing restlessly by their side.

"I think it may be the start of heat stroke," Sam murmured to Andy, trying not to worry Gracie, but she didn't seem to be paying attention. He pointed out the red blotches on Gracie's skin.

Andy recalled a time that she had gotten heat stroke on a week-long camping trip with her father when she was in middle school. Her's had been more severe than Gracie's was now, but she knew if they didn't do anything soon, it could potentially be a big problem. Andy's father had brought her to the hospital, but obviously that wasn't an option here.

"What should we do?" Andy asked. "We still haven't passed any streams or rivers," she pointed out. She reached into the bag and pulled out a full bottle of water that she hoped wasn't as warm as the rest of them. She handed it to Sam who opened it and coaxed Gracie to drink some before she drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Andy then reached into the bag and pulled out a stray shirt and ripped and folded it into small squares, pouring some water over each and placing them on Gracie's warm skin. She quieted down almost instantly, cuddling closer to Sam.

"She's going to have to take it easy for a little bit, but I think she will be okay. But we have to make it off this island soon," Sam said, speaking in a low voice so that he wouldn't disturb Gracie.

Andy was getting anxious and she couldn't sit still. She was worried for Gracie's health and all of their safety. She wanted out of this place.

"Why don't you stay here with Gracie and I will go see if I can find anything," Andy suggested. At Sam's dubious look, she said, "Even if it's a river; we may be able to help Gracie better."

Sam was hesitant, but he also knew that he couldn't stop Andy once she set her mind to something. "Alright," he finally agreed, "but don't go too far."

Andy went over to him, kneeling beside him, and kissing his cheek. "I'll be back soon," she promised, happy to be doing something useful.

Sam grabbed her and pulled her in for a passionate kiss. Andy blushed, but thankfully the sunburn hid it. Sam helped her pack enough provisions in case she got held up, but he warned her to be back before sundown. If not, he would come looking.

Andy rolled her eyes, but secretly loved that he cared so much. She climbed to her feet, shifting the weight of the pack so that it sat comfortably between her shoulder blades. She placed a kiss on Gracie's forehead and set off into the woods. She glanced back only once to wave to Sam, who smiled.

It wasn't until much later that Sam thought of the footprint he thought he had seen in the mud.


	8. A Shot For Help

Sam must have dozed off.

The sun had sunk lower in the sky, to the point where it had almost disappeared and he felt a slight chill, and indication of the impending night.

He recalled the fact that Andy had left to go looking for something of use not too long ago. He cursed himself for falling asleep. He had tried to stay awake to keep an eye on Gracie and to keep checking on Andy. Sometimes he would call out to her, just to make sure she was okay, but she eventually called that she was going farther. Sam had gotten a pit in his stomach, but allowed her to go. She needed to do this.

The heat had obviously taken a toll on him, though he didn't want to admit it. But that was probably why he had fallen asleep in the first place.

He checked on Gracie, stomach grumbling. His stomach was always grumbling these days. He sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. They needed to find help soon.

Gracie was still sleeping, peacefully now. He checked the cloths Andy had placed on her to find that they were very warm. Her took out a water bottle to re-wet the cloths and replaced them back on Gracie's body. She heaved a comforting sigh, which instantly gave Sam some relief. At least he could do something right.

Sam couldn't go very far because he didn't want to leave Gracie unattended. He vaguely wondered what could be taking Andy so long, but decided not to dwell too much on it until after he caught them some food.

A small bird and a fire later, Gracie awoke to the smells of their makeshift dinner. Her hair was mused and covered with leaves from the forest floor. Looking around, she noticed Sam and scooted closer.

"Good morning sleepyhead," Sam teased, turning the bird over the fire.

"But Sammy," Gracie said, serious, "it's nighttime!"

Sam couldn't help but laugh; she was too cute.

It didn't take too long for the bird to finish cooking and they dug in, gratefully. They of course saved some for Andy when she returned.

"Sammy?" Gracie asked in between bites. "Where is Andy?"

Sam paused to swallow. "That's a good question," he said, looking up at the sky. It was almost completely dark outside. His uneasiness increased the longer that Andy didn't return.

* * *

><p>Andy had jumped in the small lake she found. She just couldn't help herself.<p>

Andy had been trekking through the woods for quite some time. At first, Sam had called out to her to check and make sure she was okay, but he eventually stopped and he assumed he had either fallen asleep or Gracie had woken up and he was caring for her.

So, she took that as her cue that she could keep going farther out. She knew that something was out here, and she was going to find it. Andy finally felt useful after such a long time. Even if she was walking through the woods, slapping bugs and branches out of her way.

It wasn't long before she stumbled over a tree root and found the lake, if you could even call it that. It was small, but it was clean and it was water. She had filled up all of the water bottles she had before jumping in herself.

It was a relief to her hot and sore body. The lake was small, but surprisingly deep; Andy's feet just brushed the bottom. She went underwater and came up, brushing her bangs back and pulling her hair into a high ponytail to keep it out of her face. She came up facing opposite the shore she left the pack and her gun, figuring if it got anymore wet, it definitely wouldn't work.

She didn't notice the shadow that passed through the trees behind her.

Andy looked up at the sky, realizing the impending darkness. She knew that even if Sam had fallen asleep, he would be up by now and she couldn't exactly remember how far away she had made it from their makeshift camp. She also needed to get back so they could Gracie to some cold, refreshing water so she wouldn't get sick again.

She eased herself out of the water, pausing when she heard a stick crack. It was close. And it sounded way bigger than any animal they had encountered so far.

Wary, Andy tried to look past the thick brush that surrounded the pond. She couldn't see anything, but the hair on the back of her neck stood on end. Her instincts were telling her to run, and run fast.

She bent down to pick up her gun, but she fumbled it; her nerves were going crazy. She cursed, reaching for it again.

That's when he struck.

Andy felt a blow to the head, but it was weak. The most it did was knock her off balance; she managed to stay conscious, albeit a little dizzy. She managed to stay on her feet and she looked up into the cold face of Richard Larvmen.

He looked worse off than they did. He was dirty and grimy; a scruffy beard covered his face. His eyes were wild and his skin was bright red. His clothes were ripped and he looked crazier than Andy had ever seen him.

Their thoughts were confirmed; Richard Larvmen had survived the crash and he was here in this place with them.

Andy's thoughts were torn as time seemed to freeze. Calling out would alert Sam, but maybe Larvmen didn't know that Sam was alive and well, not to mention Gracie. She couldn't risk bringing danger unto them.

Plan B. Get the gun.

She looked Larvmen in the eye and dove onto the ground.

Larvmen, seeing her intention, tackled her, forcing the air out of her lungs. She gasped for air, much like a fish out of water, but she didn't stop struggling. Right now, she didn't care if she shot and killed the bastard. It appeared it was going to be the only way to get out of this alive.

She reached out and her hands made purchase with the cool metal of the gun. Suddenly, flashes of doubt entered her mind. The gun had been severely water logged when they fell into the ocean. She didn't even know if this was going to work. But for her sake, she had to try.

She tried to shift her weight so that she could point the gun at Larvmen, but he started to reach for it. Andy knew that if he got the gun, he would kill her. She would be done. She kept struggling. She had to stay alive. She wanted to tell both Gracie and Sam that she loved them.

With the image of Gracie and Sam somewhere in the forest in her head, she found the strength to kick Larvmen off of her and she scrambled to her feet, aiming the gun at his head as he cowered on the ground.

Breathless, she pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

_Shit. _

Andy, now panicked, whacked the side of the gun a couple of times, doubting it would help. She turned to run, but Larvmen used the hesitation to get off the ground and come after her.

She was strong, but he was angry and he overpowered her easily. He twisted her arm, trying to get her to discard the gun, though neither one of them thought it would do any damage now.

Still, Andy was not giving up. Her finger found the trigger once more and she pulled, but Larvmen had redirected the shot.

The gun worked, scattering nearby birds in the area and echoing through the trees. Andy heard Larvmen cry out in pain and she realized she had hit him in the foot. Not what she was aiming for, but at least it was something.

Larvmen had to shift his weight off his foot, but he didn't let go of Andy and he snatched the gun out of her hand before she could get another shot off. He tried to recover himself and Andy knew at that moment that she wasn't getting away, at least not right now.

"Why are you doing this?" she panted, her lip bloody from the struggle.

It in fact, didn't make sense what Larvmen was doing. They were on what appeared to be a deserted island; what good would it do to kill her right now? Sure, he might not get caught, but what was the point?

But then, was there really any way to reason with a person who could kill his child in the middle of the night?

It was the last coherent thought she could remember thinking, for at that moment, Larvmen took the butt of the gun and pistol whipped the side of her head so hard she was out cold.

He hoisted her over his shoulder, grunting with the strain it put on his foot and began carrying her into the brush.

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><p>Sam was pacing back and forth, awaiting Andy's return while Gracie slept again. He knew that if she hadn't returned by morning, something went wrong. But he didn't feel comfortable with her out there alone at night.<p>

Sam's head jolted up when he heard the shot. It was gunfire, no doubt. He heard it all the time and there was no mistaking what it was.

He knew Andy had her gun, but he also knew the chances of it actually working were slim. And why would she have to shoot a gun? They had no reason to suspect that anyone else was on this island. If they had found civilization, they would have been rescued by now.

It was then that Sam remembered the foot print he thought he saw. It must have been…Larvmen!

Sam's muscles tensed and he shook his heavy head. How could he be so stupid? The heat must really be affecting his brain. They hadn't found his body, but he honestly assumed he had perished in the plane crash. Even still, how could he have let Andy go out alone? Stupid!

Now what was he to do? Larvmen most likely had Andy, but now there was Gracie to think about. Although he knew there was no option. He was going after Andy. He would have to keep Gracie safe too.

He started packing everything up, knowing that time was running short. He shook Gracie awake, who looked at him through wide eyes, realizing that something was wrong.

"Andy?" she asked in a hushed voice and he simply nodded.

Sam grabbed Gracie's hand and he didn't even have to pull her along as he took off in the direction that he had last seen Andy go.


	9. Life or Death

Sam was so worried that he at first missed the signs that Andy had left behind. As a good cop, he had to focus to hone his instincts, which was difficult as he imagined what could be happening to Andy.

Gracie was silent beside him. He refused to let go of her hand and although he didn't say what exactly was going on, she knew it was bad and she didn't want to lose her second mother like she did the first.

Sam took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. That's when he noticed a few marks on the tree. Andy had been marking her way as she went along so that she could follow her way back. Sam breathed a huge sigh of relief, praising Andy's natural instincts.

Gracie felt Sam had a renewed energy as they jogged deeper and deeper into the forest. She was scared, but she pushed it away. She wanted to help Sam save Andy from whatever had her. She saw the marks on the tree that Sam was following and even helped him locate a few, bubbling with pride when he praised her great skill.

Sam was trying not to worry Gracie, even though his stomach was in knots on the inside. He refused to think about what was happening to Andy right now because if he did, he wouldn't be able to find her. That would be his first goal and once he did that…well, he would work from there.

But he couldn't lose her. Not before he got a chance to tell her how he really felt.

He shook his head, clearing all of these thoughts. He was out of practice staying objective in a crisis because of his time spent on this island. More than ever he wanted to go home. But without Andy, nothing would feel like home. That he knew for sure.

Soon, Gracie and Sam had reached a clearing with thick brush on all sides. This was of course, where the trail went cold. He didn't see any signs on the nearby trees and he didn't want to head off in the wrong direction. Frustrated, he kicked at the ground and raised his hands behind his head, spinning to look in every direction for something he missed.

Sam didn't notice when Gracie disappeared into some of the brush. Her mouth opened in awe at the sight of the fresh cold water that was the pond. She was just going to run into it when she noticed something by the shore.

Creeping closer, she saw that it was a bag just like the one that Andy carried around. She turned around, wanting to go to Sam, but she couldn't remember where she had entered. She started walking forward when she slipped on something and fell to the ground.

She thought it was just mud and embarrassed, she scrambled to her feet. But when she looked down at herself, she noticed that it was a thick red and it smelled metallic.

Taking a deep breath, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

Sam reacted quickly, following the sound through the brush. He briefly noticed the lake, but then saw Gracie standing in a small pool of blood. She was covered in it as well. She stood there, crying with her hands reached out for Sammy to save her.

He whisked her into his arms, bringing her to the water so he could help her wash some of it off. That was when he saw Andy's pack.

_That isn't Andy's blood, that isn't Andy's blood, _was the mantra he kept repeating in his head while he assisted Gracie. _She isn't hurt, she is fine. She was the one with the gun. _

Even as he said it, he noticed that he didn't see a gun in the clearing, which probably didn't mean anything good. One of them was shot, and bleeding pretty bad by the looks of it.

Once Gracie was relatively clean and calm, Sam picked her up, not wanting to let her out of his sight. After all was said and done, they were going to have to get her some professional help.

Sam was torn between telling Gracie to stay here while he located Andy and keeping her with him. He eventually decided that she would be safer with him than anywhere on this island, even if he was heading towards a murderer. He would keep them all safe.

Sam had a fleeting thought that he had forgotten to put out the fire back at their "camp", but it would do no good to worry about that now. He wasn't going back, not until he found Andy.

He carried Gracie back towards the puddle of blood, but he kept a hand firmly on the back of her head so that she was looking either back at the lake or into his shoulder. Gracie opted for crushing her eyes shut and burying herself in his shoulder, breathing in his comforting scent. She had never had a father, but that's what Sammy was to her, no doubt.

He knelt down close to it and squinted, looking around to see where the trail of blood led. There. Right through the brush on the opposite side of where they entered. As long as the trail of blood continued, he was sure he could find Andy.

He slammed through the brush, careful not to let any stray branches slap Gracie in the face. He saw the trail continued on the other side and he began to follow it, moving as silently as he could.

Sam noticed Gracie whimpering and shaking in his arms and he began to hum in a low tone.  
>The vibrations caused her to relax immediately and even though he knew he was terribly off key, Gracie was listening. His arms tightened around her protectively and he sent up a quick thought.<p>

_Hold on Andy, we are on our way._

* * *

><p>Andy gasped as she tried to sit up, but Larvmen was sitting on her stomach and chest, making it hard for her to breathe, let alone move.<p>

"It wasn't very nice what you did, shooting me in the foot and all, but I guess I can find it in my heart to forgive you," Larvmen said, leaning down and wiping the blood from her chin.

Andy eyed him warily, but didn't pull back because she didn't want to make him angry. She could see the gun dangling in his other hand and she wasn't taking any chances. She didn't like his tone; it sent her heart racing thinking about what he would do to her.

_Sam, where are you? _she wondered briefly and then immediately regretted it. She didn't want Sam anywhere near this guy. He was crazy and she didn't want Sam to get hurt. Although she was the one who was truly in danger right now.

"I wouldn't have had to shoot you if you hadn't attacked me," Andy pointed out logically. Too late, she realized that she should have kept her mouth shut. She half expected the slap to the side of her head that was so hard it made her see stars. She was silent after that.

Instead, she took to observing. This part of the forest looked just like any other part, although it was thicker in foliage. Other than that, nothing specific to help her figure out how far she was carried from the pond. She saw that he was shirtless now, for he had tied it, tourniquet style, around his bleeding foot.

Andy wanted out of here _now._ She didn't like the way that Larvmen was looking at her, as if she was a piece of meat. She raised her hands and was about to push him off, when he grabbed them and pinned them down on each side, over her head. His face was now right above hers and he was leering at her.

She was disgusted and couldn't help it- she spit in his face. He roared in surprise, but didn't let go, which was partly her intention. She rocked her hips back and forth to try to dislodge him, but his weight was crushing her ribs so she was forced to stop.

Once Larvmen recovered, he had a creepy sneer on his face. "Feisty," he commented. "Just the way I like them."

Andy's eyes widened as she saw his intention. _No, please. God, no. _She saw that there was still no talking to this guy; he wouldn't have listened anyway.

"Being in prison has taught me something," Larvmen continued. "You have to get a bitch when you can. In prison, you just become somebody else's bitch or you wind up dead. Fucking guys…" He shuddered. "But, you," he said, eyes raking her body, "are one hundred percent female. And I am going to love every minute of this."

Andy felt tears prick the back of her eyes. "Please," she begged. "Don't do this."

She felt him grow hard and she resisted the urge to vomit. "Oh, I like it when they beg," he replied, tearing at the remains of her clothing, pushing them out of the way, leaving her exposed.

"Say one word and I'll blow your fucking brains out," he promised, brandishing the gun.

Andy made herself go limp, turning her head to the side. A tear slipped out and made its way slowly down her cheek. She felt him go inside her, could hear him grunting and moaning as he thrust faster and faster. He wasn't gentle and there was pain. She closed her eyes, picturing Sam. Beautiful, wonderful Sam. Who had treated her so gently when they made love what seemed like so long ago.

It wasn't long before he climaxed, and he had enough sense to pull out of her before he came in her. Instead it ended up all over her stomach.

Andy lay there, an empty shell. She felt him get off of her and she heard him zip his pants back up, but still she didn't move. What was the point? He still had the gun, could still kill her. What's to say he wouldn't, now that he had gotten what he wanted? She was disgusted with herself.

Suddenly, he was on top of her again. She refused to look at him, so he took her by the chin, forcing her head up. With all the strength she could muster, she threw her head back and then quickly forward, smashing her forehead with his nose.

Blood spurted out everywhere and he grabbed his nose with both hands. "You little, bitch-"

Suddenly, Andy felt his weight off her body and that was when she saw…Sam! Sam had tackled Larvmen from the side and was now on top of him, landing blow after blow on his face.

Gracie was standing at farther back behind a tree, back facing the commotion, just as Sam had told her to. He had told her it was very important to stay quiet and stay safe.

Andy saw that the gun had been forgotten in the struggle between Sam and Larvmen and she seized the opportunity to scoop it up.

The two men froze as they heard the familiar click of the gun. Larvmen raised his eyes to meet the barrel of the gun that Andy held to his head.

"Andy, you have to put the gun down," Sam said, trying to use a soothing tone. He was panting and bleeding, but he had Larvmen under control. Sam took a moment to look over Andy, glad she was okay. That was when he noticed the state that she was in. Her clothes were askew, her hair covered with leaves. There was blood all over her; a thin ribbon trickled down her leg.

"He raped me, Sam," she whispered, barely audible.

Sam's heart clenched. He couldn't breathe for a horrifying moment. Those words, they hit him straight to the core. He couldn't imagine anyone touching Andy that way, besides himself.

"Oh, sweetheart," Sam said. He was still on top of Larvmen, who, with the threat of the gun had stopped struggling. Sam wanted nothing more than to go to Andy, gather her into his arms and keep her safe. But he wasn't taking any chances. He wasn't letting Larvmen escape back into the forest again.

Her aim never wavered. Sam actually wanted to shoot the bastard himself, but he knew that as a cop, it wasn't the right thing to do. If they ever did get off this island, he wanted Larvmen to await trial and pay through the system, maybe even get the death penalty somewhere. They couldn't end his life this way. It would be too easy.

Sam talked Andy into meeting his eyes and that was when Andy knew she wasn't going to shoot Larvmen.

She dropped the gun, tucking it into the back of her pants and walked away. Sam pulled Larvmen to his feet, stepping forcefully on the one that was bandaged to assure that he wasn't going to run away.

Andy had found where Gracie was hiding and gathered her into her arms, hugging her tight. When she turned to face Sam, he could see that Andy was crying silent tears.

"Andy! Andy!" Gracie kept calling. Gracie clung to Andy, refusing to let go, even for a second. She hadn't heard all that went on with the struggle, but she knew there was a man that wanted to hurt Andy.

Over Andy's shoulder, Gracie saw something peculiar. She cocked her head to the side and tapped Andy on the shoulder. "Mama, what's that?"

Andy was initially shocked and pleased at the fact that Gracie had called her mom. But when she turned around, all pleasant thoughts flew from her mind.

Survival instincts kicked in. She clutched Gracie to her chest and flew towards Sam and Larvmen.

"Sam, run!" she screamed. Gracie began a high pitched scream when she realized they were not out of danger yet.

Sam looked in the direction that Andy had fled from. Behind her was a wall of fire that was moving swiftly in their direction, taking out everything in its path.


	10. Run For Your Life

Andy hung back, not wanting to leave Sam alone, especially with someone like Larvmen. Sam turned around and looked at her like she was crazy. "Get out of here!" he screamed.

They could all smell the horrible burning smell that was engulfing the forest. It was becoming increasingly harder to see; smoke was building up. The dry forest was perfect fodder for a spreading fire.

Sam all but pushed Andy and Gracie in the direction opposite the impending fire and directed them to run. He knew Andy was stubborn though and if he didn't follow quickly, she would come back to save him.

Sam turned to Larvmen. "I'm not letting go of you," Sam said, speaking quickly. "If you try to escape, I will have Andy shoot you and finish you off or I will feed you to the fire. Got it? But if you want to get out of here, I suggest you cooperate and run."

Larvmen didn't say anything, but Sam could tell he was going to comply. Sam silently hoped that Larvmen's impaired foot wouldn't slow them down too badly. He really wanted to make it out of here alive.

He could just make out Andy's back as she hunched over Gracie, trying to protect her. Sam saw Gracie's bright scared blue eyes as she looked over Andy's shoulder at him. She looked as if she wanted to reach out to him. She wanted her little family back together.

Andy had no clue where she was running to, but away from the fire seemed as good enough idea as any. She kept getting scratched in the face by branches and other unknown substances. It stung, but it would be nothing compared to the third degree burns she would receive if they were engulfed in flames. It did make her face bleed though, and she had to wipe it out of her eyes so she could continue.

Andy could hear Sam following behind her and she knew that Larvmen was with him. Personally, she had hoped Sam would have left him there to burn, but that wasn't the type of guy Sam was and it was part of the reason why she cared so much about him. Andy didn't like having her back to Larvmen, but she knew Sam would protect her and considering the circumstances, she ignored the feeling that she had.

Andy felt Gracie's small body shaking with fear. The fire was slowly gaining on them; they could feel the heat pressing on their backs. Against her better judgment, Andy craned her neck around to see how far behind Sam was.

Fortunately, she saw that he was practically on her heels, but the fire was gaining. Andy turned back around and kept running. The trees looked like they were thinning and she wondered what she would find if she kept going in this direction.

Andy felt Gracie's body heave as she started coughing; the smoke was really taking its toll.

"Hold on baby," Andy urged. "Almost out of here." She actually had no clue where they were, but she wanted to comfort Gracie no matter what. This poor girl had gone through so much already. Andy was getting her out of this burning forest.

Sam had caught up and was now running by her side. Andy saw that he and Larvmen were forced to move faster as the fire did. It had caught up to them. They had to keep moving.

Andy's legs felt like lead and there was a burning in between them as she ran; she silently cursed Larvmen. Suddenly, she felt as if her leg was on fire, which when she looked down, she realized it was.

"Sam!" she gasped out and she was surprised he heard her. His mouth opened when he saw what happened. She shook her head, indicating him to keep going.

Andy saw Sam push Larvmen through some brush and he followed. Andy tried to follow, but her burning leg gave out. She fell and landed hard on her knees. She released her hold on Gracie.

"Go, Gracie. Follow Sammy, okay?" Andy said, trying to hide her pain. Gracie looked at her wide eyed. She didn't want to leave her. "Go!"Andy said, feeling the fire closing in. Gracie, tears in her eyes, fled.

Andy tried to stand and follow, but she ended up slipping. The fire on her leg had gone out when she fell onto the ground. But it was so painful she could barely put any pressure on it. Once more she attempted to get off the ground.

That's when she felt Sam's strong arms wrap around her and pull her to her feet. He hoisted her up with ease and carried her through the brush, just as the fire engulfed where they were previously standing.

They burst through the trees, which burst into flames once they passed through. They found themselves on the beach. The same beach where they had washed ashore when they first arrived on the island.

Andy noticed that Larvmen had been knocked unconscious, courtesy of Sam. That way, Gracie would be safe when he went back to rescue Andy. Andy saw Gracie curled up in a little ball off to the side of the beach. Gracie looked up when she heard Sam and Andy burst through the trees and she got up and rushed over to them, throwing herself into their arms.

Andy picked her up and Sam held Andy and they stayed that way, watching the fire burn behind them after they moved a safe distance away. Sam went back and dragged Larvmen away from the flames, much to Andy's dismay.

Gracie was still coughing and Andy went to grab a bottle of water from her pack when she realized she had lost it long ago by the lake. "Sam, do you have any water?" she asked, indicating Gracie. But Sam shrugged; he had abandoned his bag in order to escape the forest.

"I'm okay," Gracie said, snuggling closer, nestling in between both Sam and Andy. Sam slung his arm over Andy's shoulder and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for saving my life. Twice," Andy said to him, looking into his eyes.

"No problem McNally," Sam said, throwing her a goofy grin which she returned.

Now that adrenaline was wearing off, Andy could really feel the pain in her leg. But she was so happy to be alive that she attempted to ignore it for as long as she could. Sam, Andy, and Gracie just sat, glad to be safe. They caught their breath and rested their weary limbs.

Staring at the fire with their back to the ocean, Andy wondered out loud, "How do you think the fire started anyway?"

Now that Sam could actually think he admitted, "I may have forgotten to put out the fire when I heard the gunshot. I knew I had to come find you. I wasn't thinking clearly." He frowned, feeling like it was his entire fault, even though they made it out alive.

For a reason she couldn't explain, Andy found this hilarious. She busted out in laughter so hard that tears where streaming down her face. Gracie giggled, finding Andy's laugh contagious. Sam looked on like they were both crazy, but soon joined in. It was good to be alive.

Sam was concerned about Andy. She seemed to be holding up okay, but she was raped and it angered him so bad; he could only imagine what was going through her head. But now was not the time to talk about such things, especially with Gracie here and her rapist collapsed unconscious a few feet from them. So he settled instead for being close to her, reveling in being close to her, knowing that she was safe.

"What are we going to do now?" Gracie questioned, holding her doll close. She was pretty thirsty, but she knew that they didn't have any water so she didn't bother asking.

"Well, we have no water, no food and we can't go back into the forest for some time, not to mention their might not be a lot left…" Sam rambled on, listing all things that would make them absolutely hopeless.

Andy turned around and a huge grin was plastered on her face. Sam trailed off and looked at her questioningly.

"I don't think we are going to need anything," Andy said simply.

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, brows furrowed. "How are we going to survive if we don't have- "

Andy placed a finger to his lips, gently to silence him. She leaned in so she was inches from his face. "Look," she said and she pointed behind them, towards the ocean.

Sam shielded his eyes against the beautiful sunrise and looked out into the large expanse of the ocean that trapped them there. And then he saw it.

"A boat!" Gracie exclaimed. "Aboataboataboat!" She jumped up and started doing a little dance.

Sam stood up, offering Andy a hand, which she took gratefully. Sam hoisted Gracie onto his shoulders and they all started waving their hands around like crazy and yelling, trying to get the boats attention.

* * *

><p>The boat was in the area, attracted by the large scale fire they saw on the island. They weren't going to go anywhere near it, deciding fire and boats didn't mix well together.<p>

One of the ship's crew members was looking out, daydreaming perhaps as he stared at the inferno. He wished they could do something to help. Then he thought he saw something, on the shore of the flaming island.

"What the…" the young man said, squinting against the rising sun. "Those are people!" he exclaimed in shock. At first, he could only stare and then he ran back to the captain. "Sir, you have to turn the ship around. There are people on that island!"

The captain looked doubtful, but when the crew member remained persistent, the captain had a look for himself. And sure enough, there were a small group of people jumping around by the shore.

"Turn this ship around!" the captain bellowed.

* * *

><p>"It's turning around!" Andy cried.<p>

Larvmen was starting to wake up, but he was still dizzy and remained stunned on the ground.

"Are we going home?" Gracie asked, still perched atop Sam's strong shoulders. She sat her doll in front of her and grabbed onto Sam's ears with her hands.

Sam kept a steady hand on Gracie's leg, ensuring that she wouldn't fall. The other he kept wrapped around Andy's waist, holding her close. He looked deep in her eyes and said, "We are going home."


	11. Home

It took about a week for Sam, Andy and Gracie to arrive back in Toronto. But that week was nothing like the two weeks they had spent on the island.

Once safe and sound on the boat, Sam and Andy had to explain everything that happened to the incredulous crew members on the ship. Sam was surprised they didn't look at them like savages, though that's probably what they looked like: dirty, hungry, and covered in burns and blood. They quickly identified themselves as police and although they had no proof, the crew members believed them. They also explained about the plane crash that had occurred and they had thankfully heard of what had happened. Apparently it had been all over the news. They explained who Larvmen was, and they had him locked down in a room where he wouldn't bother anyone.

It turned out they were on an uninhabited island by the coast, close to their destination of South America. Once Sam and Andy identified themselves as cops, the captain of the ship assured them that he would help them get to their destination.

Sam and Andy had to explain their story once again to the officers of the jail in South America that had been expecting Larvmen a long time ago. It didn't take a lot of explaining because they had been notified of the plane crash as well.

Larvmen seemed subdued as they handed him over. Sam notified the police quietly on the side to expect more charges of rape and attempted murder as well as whatever harsh charges they could pin on him for exploding the plane once they got settled in Toronto. The guard nodded, but there was no more conversation on the matter. Sam doubted they would be able to connect him to the plane explosion for the remains were sitting at the bottom of the ocean, but Larvmen obviously had outside help. Andy stood by, keeping Gracie entertained.

No had seemed to question the fact that a little girl was now accompanying the two cops. Or if they did, no one asked them directly. But Gracie was just content to be with Andy and Sam.

Sam insisted that Andy go to a hospital, especially for the burn that was on her leg. He wanted Gracie to be checked out as well, but Andy declined, claiming she wanted to wait until they were back home to do anything.

Unfortunately, the only way to get back home within a reasonable time frame was to get on a plane once more. Needless to say, it was traumatic for all of them and they had to hold on to each other the entire flight. Nerves were on edge and none of them got enough sleep.

"Your plane blew up so we reward you with free first class tickets," Andy complained, through clenched teeth. Take off went without a hitch, but now they were flying steadily through the air. No sign of danger yet, but Sam, Andy and Gracie were all on edge.

Gracie couldn't sit still but Andy tried to calm her by playing with her hair and the exhausted and traumatized girl fell into a deep slumber while Andy continued to comfort her.

"Hey, I'm not complaining about first class seats," Sam said, trying to keep the conversation light, but Andy could see him gripping the arm rest of the seat so tight his knuckles were turning white.

Andy spared one hand that was playing with Gracie's hair to place on top of Sam's. He instantly relaxed and threaded his fingers through hers. She took a deep breath. They were going to make it through this plane ride. If they could make it through whatever happened on the island, they could make it through one simple plane ride. They had opted for a flight straight home, knowing that if they had a connecting flight, they would probably not get back on another plane.

Gracie woke up only once, so that she could climb onto Andy's lap and fall asleep, head on her shoulder.

Andy loved playing mother to this child, especially since Gracie had lost hers, but she didn't know what was going to happen once they got home. But she wouldn't think about that now.

Andy was still sore, in between her legs burned and the burn on her leg bothered her greatly. But, as she promised Sam, she would go to the doctor as soon as they arrived at home. All of a sudden, she felt so tired. Maybe it was the comforting weight of Gracie on her lap. Maybe it was wondering what was going to happen when they arrived at home. Maybe it was Sam rubbing circles on her back or maybe it was the fact that she just didn't want to think anymore.

Regardless of the reason, she leaned onto Sam's chest and fell asleep.

Sam couldn't sleep. There was no way. He now had a renewed fear of flying and planes. But a sense of relief and comfort fell over him as he watched Gracie and Andy sleep in his arms. It was one of the best feelings in the world.

He eased his head back, closed his eyes and smiled.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the airport in Toronto, the same one where they had been close to a month ago when picking up the prisoner to transfer.<p>

Not much had changed. When they picked up Larvmen, there had been many people, protesting his existence. Now, there were just as many people, but this time, they were gathered to get a glimpse of three out of the four people who had survived the terrifying plane crash.

Flashes popped when they approached, video cameras rolled and people rushed forward. Gracie buried her head in Sam's shoulders to hide, something she was quite used to doing.

Being back in the 'real world' still had them adjusting. Two weeks they had spent without civilization and it was all very overwhelming to them still.

Andy's heart was racing and she stayed close to Sam's side, whether it was to protect him or herself, she wasn't sure. Reporters were being held back, but their cameras and microphones were thrust forward, trying to get a statement or a glimpse of the survivors.

That was when Andy noticed the familiar police officers that were holding down the fort. A huge grin split her face, and she stepped out from the shadow of Sam. Instead, she took his hand and waved at her friends. It had been so long since she had seen them.

Making sure that the rest of the members of 15 Division had the crowd of people under control, the 'rookies' came over to reunite with Andy. Oliver, Jerry and Noelle came to see Sam as well.

These were tears well shed by all. Hugs were given, joy was widespread. 15 Division was whole once again.

They all mutually agreed not to talk about anything here, not until they were either at the precinct or in the safety of their own homes. They didn't want these people catching a glimpse of their personal lives anymore than they already did.

Although Oliver couldn't help but ask, "Hey Sam, who's the kid?"

Sam attempted to put Gracie down, but she would have none of that, not when she was surrounded by strangers and the crazy commotion of the airport.

"This is Gracie," Andy said, introducing her. "Gracie, can you say hi?"

Gracie tentatively raised her head from her safe haven. Looking up through her long lashes she said sheepishly, "Hi."

She melted everyone's hearts instantly. Traci went right up to her, asking her many questions. But Gracie didn't shy away; she liked this woman. "That's Andy's best friend," Sam whispered in her ear. That would explain why she liked her so much.

Gracie took in every one of the officers from the older man with the bald spot called Oliver to the blonde woman, Gail, who was kind of mean to everyone. But she liked them all. They were very nice and they included her. They were also friends of who she considered her parents. She felt very happy and eventually asked if Sam could put her down.

Frank Best sauntered forward after dispersing some of the crowd. He cleared his throat and Gracie grabbed on to Andy's leg for he was intimidating. "It's good to have you two back," Best said, and he truly meant it. "That precinct hasn't been the same."

"I just have one favor to ask of you sir," Sam said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. "No more prisoner transfers. Ever," he joked.

Everyone chuckled. "Same old Sammy," Jerry said.

Andy took Sam's hand again and Gracie's hand in her other. "Let's go home," she said. But truly, surrounded by her family she felt as if she was already there.


	12. Victory

_A Week Later..._

"What do you mean, we can't keep her?" Andy exclaimed, jumping out of her seat in protest.

"Please, Officer McNally, I would advise you to take a seat." There was a warden of the state meeting with Andy and Sam. They were both back in uniform and it felt very good to be back.

They had been back a week or so.

Best had seen that all three of them went straight to the hospital after the airport. They were relatively healthy for being stranded on an island for two weeks, but Sam chopped it up to their cop instincts and survival skills. Andy had to be treated for her burn and they also did a rape kit to see if they could find anything. They promised to call if they had any results, but it didn't seem likely since it had been so long. Gracie had to be treated for minor smoke inhalation and Sam had to be treated for minor heat stroke. Other than that they had made a full recovery. Everyone was in awe that they had been able to survive so well. People were following their story around the world once it hit the news.

It had taken some begging on their part to allow Best to let them back to work so early. But they all agreed that getting back to the job would do them good. Although Best started them both on desk jobs for a week just to get back into the swing of things and to give them a little break.

The story with Gracie was a whole other minefield.

Sam had explained to everyone what had happened regarding Gracie once they arrived at the precinct after the hospital. Dov and Chris were trying to entertain her by doing stupid stunts and she was laughing like crazy. Everyone fell in love with her, but no one more so than Sam and Andy.

Everyone could tell that something had went on between Sam and Andy, something more so than being stranded on an island together, fighting off the bad guy and caring for a kid. They were closer; more relaxed around each other and the sexual tension that everyone could feel from a mile away had dissipated. But for the time being, everyone decided to let it slide. Andy would tell Traci the dirty details soon enough anyway.

That same night, using the precincts resources, the rookies helped Sam and Andy look up information on what was Gracie's family. Her mother had been a pregnant teenager in foster care, but she escaped when she was 17, living in homeless shelters from time to time. She eventually built a successful life for herself and her daughter. She had no priors listed.

Andy closed her eyes and pictured the woman Gracie was holding hands with when they first entered the plane. She looked like a nice woman, with a small smile that hid the pain she had been through.

She knew that Gracie missed her mother very much and Andy could see why; she seemed like a remarkable woman. But Sam, Andy and Gracie had grown very attached to each other…

They also found out from records that Gracie's mother, whose name was Veronica, had no living family.

Sam's heart dropped at the thought of this little girl having nowhere, no family, to go to. She was too young to go into the system. He didn't want her sweet nature to be tainted by getting shifted from foster care to foster care.

It was as if Sam and Andy had come to an unspoken agreement. They were going to fight to keep Gracie, no matter what.

Unfortunately, that same night, social services had come to whisk Gracie away. "You can't take her away, please!" Andy begged. She looked at Sam. "Do something!"

"I can't," Sam said, laying a hand on Andy's shoulder to keep her from chasing after them. "We will fight for her I promise."

"You can't take me away. They are my mommy and daddy!" Gracie cried. She waved her tiny fists, trying to get away. "Sammy! Andy!"

Andy's heart broke as Gracie was taken away from them like a band-aid being ripped off too fast. She collapsed in a heap on the floor, arms crossed, trying to keep her heart from falling apart. Sam's strong arms circled around her and he had to bury his face in her hair so none of the rookies or his friends would see the tears that escaped.

The room had been silent; no one knew what to do. Gracie was in foster care now so she was safe, but Sam and Andy wouldn't rest until they got that little girl back and everyone knew it.

Sam and Andy didn't want to be alone that night so they both went back to her place after receiving comforting and reassuring words from the members of their squad.

They made love long into the morning. Sam was gentle and loving, so much so that she forgot about the way Larvmen had treated her and she succumbed to Sam. This was how it should always be. They fell asleep in each other's arms.

Within the week that they had to stay from work, Sam and Andy had been on the phone constantly with social services and the foster care where Gracie was staying. Eventually they had gotten them to agree to a meeting with them so they could talk things over. You would think they would be a little lenient to a couple of cops who survived a plane crash and two weeks on an island.

Which is how they ended up back at the precinct, talking to a woman from social services today.

"What do you mean we can't keep her?" Andy repeated again, but she took the woman's advice. Her name was Caroline Musa.

"Just what I said, Officer McNally," her voice was firm, but her face softened into one of compassion. "I know this is hard; you three certainly bonded while being trapped on that island together. But we have to think about what is best for the child."

"Her name is Gracie," Sam said stiffly. "And we only want to give her what's best. What kind of people do you think we are?" He shifted in his seat and leaned forward. "Can you honestly tell me that that kid has been better off since you took her from us?"

Caroline began to sputter. "Well…"

"That's what I thought," Sam said, satisfied. He leaned back in his chair.

Caroline still looked flustered. It was true. The child was progressing backwards. She had stopped talking and eating and she had started throwing fits. The foster family that had her now was asking if they could relocate her as soon as possible.

Andy picked up on her hesitation. "Tell us what we need to do," she demanded.

Caroline cleared her throat. "The only way for you to get Gracie," she said, looking at Sam for emphasis, "is to legally adopt her. It's quite a lengthy process."

"Done," Sam and Andy said at the same time. Andy looked over at same and gave him a smile. They were playing this by ear. They hadn't even officially moved in together, although she had stayed at his place for the majority of the week. They had just entered into a relationship after all this time and now they were going to adopt a child? If that wasn't moving fast then they didn't know what was.

But it didn't matter because they both knew that adopting Gracie was the right thing to do. It would make them complete.

Caroline stared at them for a moment. "Are you sure about this?" she pressed. "Taking care of a child is a lot of work, not something you should just jump into…" she trailed off at their amused looks.

"Pardon me, but if you can go through everything we can go through and still be okay enough not to have a mental breakdown, then you should know that taking care of Gracie is going to be a piece of cake," Sam smirked.

"We are sure," Andy confirmed.

Caroline threw up her hands in defeat. "Fine, but we will check up on her from time to time."

Sam and Andy nodded. "Just one, question," Andy interrupted. Caroline gestured for her to go on. "Will Gracie get to stay with us while everything is getting situated?"

Caroline paused, thinking that she needed to remove Gracie from the home she was in and from there she had no clue where to put this child. All the foster care families in the area were full and not willing to take on a troublesome child. Would it really be so bad to have Gracie stay with two cops who were trying to adopt her?

"Alright," Caroline sighed. "She can stay with you."

"Yes!" Andy cried, unprofessionally. Sam stood up and enveloped her in a hug. Victory! Gracie was coming home.

"I'll draw up the paperwork," Caroline said, exiting the room in defeat.

* * *

><p>Sam and Andy had left shift early and went out to get a coffee. They were supposed to be picking up Gracie later that day from her current foster family.<p>

But first they really needed to talk. At first, this week had all been about getting Gracie back to them, but now they realized what a big commitment this was. No, they weren't going back on what they had decided. But there really were some things that had to be discussed.

"Smile," Andy said, plopping Sam's coffee down in front of him. She pulled out the seat in front of him, wincing as it scraped along the floor, and sat down.

Sam managed a painful grimace which made Andy laugh and his grimace turned into a sexy smirk instead.

"Okay," Andy said, spreading her hands on the table. "Let's talk."

Sam leaned forward and took one of her hands, the other he used to tip the coffee to his lips and sipped, ignoring the way it burned his lips and made them tingle. Now that they were sitting here, with their lives finally calmed down, he had no idea what to say. They had been managing to not talk about anything of importance since they had been back, mainly because their focus was on Gracie.

"So," Sam began awkwardly. "You know how I feel about you."

"Do I?" Andy asked, raising one eyebrow and leaning back in her chair. Sam looked at her incredulously. "Because I don't think I do."

Sam just looked at her, but she sat there expectantly. She may have been kidding, but she wasn't joking about the fact that she wanted to hear him say it. Sam took a deep breath and Andy was surprised. It wasn't often she saw Sam get nervous. She secretly loved that she could make him feel that way.

"McNally…Andy," he said, discarding the name he usually called her. "I…I love you. Very much. And I'm really happy that we are finally together." He looked up to see her eyes softening. "I know we have already been through a lot together, but adopting Gracie, it's going to be a new adventure that I think we are more than ready for. I believe it was the right decision. So there's really just one question."

"Oh yeah?" Andy said, close to tears. "What's that?"

"Your place or mine?"

"If that is your offhand way of asking me to move in with you, then I accept," Andy smirked.

"Let's face it McNally, you've practically been living there anyway," Sam teased.

She leaned over and punched him in the arm.


	13. The Whole Family

"I'm nervous, why am I nervous?" Andy said, stamping her feet and rubbing her hands together to ward off the cold.

Sam and Andy were standing on the porch of the foster family who had been keeping Gracie. Sam reached over and rang the doorbell.

"Maybe because you are worried she is going to hate us because we let them take her away," Sam pointed out.

Andy looked at him, appalled. "No, that was not on my list." She turned to face the door. "But now it is."

Sam ducked his head to hide a smile. He wasn't nervous, he was happy. Happy to be getting his family back together.

After talking some more, both Sam and Andy agreed to see a therapist, just so if any future problems from living on the island surfaced, they would be able to handle it. Plus, it was recommended they talk about the trauma they endured from the plane crash itself. Some short deliberation later, they decided to get a child therapist for Gracie as well. Since she lost her mother as well, it seemed like the right thing to do.

All joking aside, they had agreed to move into Sam's house. They had called Chris and asked if they could borrow his truck so they could move some things from Andy's apartment to Sam's house this coming weekend. Chris readily agreed and even got Dov to agree to come help them move in. Just as Andy had been about to hang up, Chris had said, "Finally!" and she couldn't help but laugh.

Things were finally falling into place. They just needed…

The door swung open to reveal a very tall woman with a pixie cut. In Andy's opinion, she didn't seem very motherly.

"Hi, I'm Claire. You must be here to pick up Gracie." If Andy didn't know better, she thought she could detect a note of relief. She wondered why.

"Yes, that's us," Sam said, giving a dimpled grin which Claire returned. Andy smirked. It was funny the way some women swooned when Sammy turned on the charm.

"Right this way," Claire said, stepping aside to let them into the house. Andy made her way in first, grateful to get out of the cold. Sam placed a hand on the small of her back and followed her inside. "Gracie dear, there are some people here to see you!" Claire called out and even Sam could hear the false note of cheer in her voice.

No one stirred in the house; no Gracie appeared. Sam and Andy looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Claire walked into the next room and returned not too soon after.

"She's right in here, but she won't move," Claire said with a tone of exasperation. "I tried everything."

"Do you mind?" Sam asked, gesturing towards the living room. "I think we can handle it from here."

"Go right ahead, but don't hold your breath. She's very stubborn. Can I get you guys anything?" Claire asked before they entered the next room. Andy noticed how her eyes stayed locked on Sam, who ignored her and entered the next room as if he didn't hear her.

"We're fine thanks," Andy answered for the both of them and with a quick smile, followed Sam into the living room.

The little girl they saw, hugging her knees to her chest, head facing the wall was not the same girl that they had seen a week ago. This one seemed more subdued. She definitely wasn't happy. But that's what Sam and Andy were here to fix.

"Hey kiddo, you ready to go?" Sam asked.

Surprised, Gracie whipped her head up and scrambled up from the floor in the blink of an eye. Her mouth was hanging open. "Sammy, Andy!" She rushed into their waiting arms, much as she had on the island after they narrowly escaped the fire. "I knew you'd come back for me," she whispered, grabbing hold of both of them as they hoisted her up.

"We didn't want to leave you. I'm sorry it took so long," Andy said, and Sam could see the tears shining in her eyes. "But, how would you like coming to live with me and Sammy?" she asked.

Gracie's eyes shone with excitement. "Boy would I!" she exclaimed, making Sam and Andy crack up. For a five year old, she talked like an older person sometimes.

"Alright, go pack up your things okay?" Sam urged, placing her back on the ground. She scuttled towards what Sam assumed was her room for the time being. "We'll be in the kitchen!" he called to her retreating back.

Sam and Andy walked into the kitchen where Claire was perched on the edge of a seat. "That was it?" she asked them surprised.

"Yes," Sam said simply, leaning against the door frame waiting for Gracie to come out.

"Does she have very much?" Andy asked. When they came home from the island, they had nothing. Gracie had nothing but her doll.

"We, my husband and I, got her some clothes when she got here. I don't think she liked them much though," Claire mused.

Gracie came barreling down the hall, dragging a bag that was much too big for her. She nearly crashed into Sam. Sam bent down and scooped up her bag in one hand and her in the other arm.

"I'm ready!" she cried, breathless, smiling a toothy grin at Andy who was across the room.

"Alright, say goodbye and thank you to Claire for taking care of you," Andy prodded. Sam set her on her feet and she toddled over to where Claire was sitting.

"Thank you very much for taking care of me and getting me clothes and stuff," she said, rocking back and forth on her feet. "I'm going with my real mommy and daddy now."

Claire bent down and patted her on the head. "No problem, dear." Claire looked up at Sam and Andy in turn. "Take good care of her."

"Of course," Andy said, giving a polite smile. Gracie went over and held up her arms to Sam who picked her up once more, straightening her coat. "We'll just be going now. Thank you very much Claire," Andy said.

She walked them to the door and they made their way to the car. Once Gracie was safely buckled up in a car seat that Traci let them borrow, they were on their way.

"So, Claire said you didn't like the clothes she bought you," Andy said, trying to keep the conversation light. But nothing could bring down Gracie's mood; she was happily swinging her feet back and forth and she couldn't sit still. She had her family back. Nothing could go wrong now.

"Well, let's see them!" Sam said, but he couldn't turn around for he was driving.

Gracie unzipped the bag that held all of her belongings and pulled out a bright pink dress covered in frills. She scrunched up her nose in distaste. In the bag, Andy could see many more specimens just like it in various colors.

"I see what you mean," Andy said, disgusted by that much pink. She thought for a moment. "Guess where we are going tomorrow?"

At the same time, Andy and Gracie shouted, "Shopping!" and giggled.

Sam merely shook his head. "Girls," he sighed.


	14. Epilogue: Perfect

_Months Later: _

"Gracie hunny, if you don't hurry up you are going to miss the bus!" Andy called up the stairs. A moment later Gracie came bounding down the stairs, sounding like a herd of elephants rather than the tiny girl that she was.

"How do I look Mama?" she asked, giving a twirl. She was dressed in camo pants and a navy blue police department tee shirt. Sam had pulled some strings to get one in her size. Her hair was in two braids that hung over her shoulder and her blue eyes looked up at Andy for approval.

"You look wonderful. Now, did your father dress you today?" Andy asked, handing Gracie her backpack, which was a violent shade of purple, her favorite color.

"He helped a little," Gracie admitted, slipping the backpack on her back. When she stood back, Andy was shocked at how much Gracie reminded her of herself when she was a little girl. She smiled.

"Ready for school?" Andy asked, checking her watch. Right on time for a change. Gracie nodded happily. It was the second week of school and she already loved it. "Sam! Come say goodbye to Gracie!" she called up the stairs. She was always yelling these days.

Sam plodded down the stairs; half of his face was shaved, the other half was covered in shaving cream. "Bye bud," he said, giving her a peck on the cheek, accidentally-on-purpose wiping some shaving cream on her face.

"Daddy!" she squealed, and Sam helped her wipe it off. Andy bent down and gave her a kiss as well and that's when they heard the bus pull up right in front of the house. They got lucky; the bus stop was right there.

"Bye, I love you!" Gracie called, pausing in the doorway and waving to her parents. "See you after school."

"See you then," Andy confirmed and Gracie turned and ran to the bus stop. They watched from the door, hand in hand, as Gracie boarded the bus and sat down next to her best friend Brooklyn. Gracie saw them watching and waved one last time before the bus disappeared around the corner.

"Now that we are alone," Sam said, pulling Andy inside and shutting the door.

"But Sam, we will be late for work and you still have shaving cream on your-" she was cut short when Sam took the shaving cream on his face and whipped it at hers, covering her.

"You are dead, Swarek! Dead!" she cried as he raced up the stairs. Gracie wasn't the only kid in the house anymore. Since she came, Andy swore that she and Sam were progressing backwards; she had never felt so young. Which was weird; she thought she was supposed to go through a mid-life crisis having a kid so young.

Sam ran into the bathroom and locked the door, ignoring as Andy pounded on it, issuing death threats. He finished shaving and then opened the door, literally sweeping Andy off her feet, leaving her breathless.

He carried her into the bedroom and placed her down on the bed. He hovered over her, his lips deliciously close. "You said we were going to be late for work?" he questioned, recalling her words.

"Nah, I think we have time for this," Andy said before crushing her lips to his.

Right now, for once in her life, Andy's life was perfect. And she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

><p><em><strong>And that is the end of the journey. Thank you all for loving this story so much. I'm sorry it has to end, but I'm glad you all enjoyed it as much as you did. Feel free to read my existing Rookie Blue stories and I am already forming a few new ones as well. Thank you again for your wonderful support; you guys are awesome. <strong>_


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